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Mother M. Patricia was superior of the Monastery of the Poor Clares (Mosteiro das Pobres Clarrisas) in Paraiba, Brazil.

Sr. Patricia of Jesus writes from a Carmelite monastery in New York.

Boris Pasternak was the Russian novelist and poet best known for «Dr. Zhivago». This novel earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature, but, after the nomination, he was forced to leave the Soviet Writers' Union.

Marie-Antoinette Pasco writes from Perpignan, France.

Linda Parsons, born Miroslav Prozak (also spelled Miroslava Projak), was a Catholic convert in her thirties who underwent powerful ecstasies of religious experience. Parsons and Martha Crampton of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, organized the R. M. Bucke Memorial Society for the study of religious experience. She began a correspondence with Merton, and, after his death, founded a Thomas Merton Retreat Center at Lake Magog, near the Benedictine monastery of St. Benoît du Lac. Later, she married Peter Sabbath who became the retreat center's director, which later moved to Montreal. (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», p. 516.)

Nicanor Parra distinguished himself as the most prominent Chilean poet, or antipoet, of the Generation of 1938. In 1935, he and friends started «Revista Nueva». The surrealism of Pablo Neruda and the writing of Garcia Lorca among others influenced his first book of poetry, published in 1937. Parra became a professor of mathematics and theoretical physics Universidad de Chile in Santiago from 1951-1991 after his graduate studies at Brown University in Rhode Island and Oxford in England. The direction of his poetry changed in the 1960's, inventing a new poetic form called antipoetry. He published a number of volumes of poetry and influenced many other poets, including Merton, who translated a number of his poems. Parra along with James Laughlin visited Merton at Gethsemani Abbey in May of 1966. (Source: "Parra, Nicanor." Spanish American Authors. 1992. Wilson Biographies Plus. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 26 Jan. 2006. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)

Fr. Etienne Pâris was a Trappist monk from the abbey of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont at Mont-des-Cats in France.

Jan Papanek was Chairman of the International League for the Rights of Man and writes to ask Merton's signature on a statement condemning human rights violations in the Vietnam War. Merton notes that he will sign the statement.

A Cypriot by birth, Costas Papademas first writes after meeting Merton at Gethsemani, In 1963, while he was a professor in the Journalism Department of Indiana University in Bloomington. He came with a delegation of journalist from around the world (see a letter to Merton from October, 21, 1963 signed by all the foreign journalists). When unrest broke out in Cyprus in 1964, he returned to his native country. Later, he served as Cyprian ambassador in London and in Washington, D.C.

George A. Panichas was an associate professor in the English Department of the University of Maryland in College Park at the time of writing to Merton. In addition, he was the an essayist, biographer and author of a number of books on politics, history and religion.

Fr. Palumbo writes from Caserta, Italy.

Marco Pallis was a mountain climber, scholar on Tibetan Buddhism, and author of books about his travels, Eastern religions, and the Buddhist-Christian dialogue. He is most known for his book, «Peaks and Llamas». Pallis was born of parents of Greek origin, but was born in England. George Zournas, a friend of Pallis, put him in touch with Merton. Pallis helped Merton prepare for his journey to the Asia and provided contacts and suggestions. (Source: «The Hidden Ground of Love», pp. 463-464.)

John Palcewski was Editor of «Don Quixote». He wanted his friend Allen Schaaf to interview Merton for his magazine.

Fr. Gustave Pairoux writes from the Desclee Company publishers to ask if Merton would write a preface to Fr. William Johnston's «The Mysticism of the Cloud of Unknowing». He writes from Rome, Italy.

Fr. Pachomius was a monk of Benedictine monastery of Erlach in Niederwaldkirchen, Austria.

Nadia Osman writes from Nîmes, France.

E. J. Oshier writes to Editor of «Harper's Magazine» regarding Merton's article in the November 1966 issue entitled, "Apologies to an Unbeliever". Oshier states that Merton "made the point that, while God may or may not be dead, Gobbledgook prevails in strength."

Celina Agnes O'Shea was 72 at the time of writing. She was preparing materials for a book about enfolding events supporting the Fatima prophecies, the apparition of the Virgin Mary claimed to be seen by girls in Portugal in 1917.

Arthur Osborne was an Oxford graduate of history who taught at Chulongkorn University in Bangkok before moving to Tiruvannamalai, India, with his family to become a devotee of Ramana Maharshi. Taking up residence at the Ashram of Maharshi, he was well-known as the founder and editor of «The Mountain Path», a quarterly journal published by Sri Ramanasramam. (Source: Osborne, Arthur. "The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words." Sri Ramanasramam. Tiruvannamalai, India: 1996. Back cover.)

At the time of writing, Mother Mary Angela Osak was the Superior of the Redemptoristine Nuns in Keswick, Ontario, Canada.

Michael Ortwein was an ex-novice of Gethsemani Abbey.

Joel Orent was an ordained Jewish rabbi who writes to Merton about the possibility of exploring Buddhist and Catholic monastic traditions. He made some inquiries into living with some Catholic monastic communities. He first writes to Merton from New York, and later from Hollywood, California.

Fr. Joseph E. O'Neill was a Jesuit priest and Editor of «Thought», a quarterly review published at Fordham University in New York.

Jack O'Neill was an ex-novice of Gethsemani Abbey.

John O'Neil was co-founder and co-editor of «The Pope Speaks: The American Quarterly of Papal Documents», published in Washington, D.C.

Terence Olmstead was one of the children of Beatrice Olmstead (see "Olmstead, Beatrice" file).

Lenore Olmstead was one of the children of Beatrice Olmstead (see "Olmstead, Beatrice" file).

Dorothea Olmstead was one of the children of Beatrice Olmstead (see "Olmstead, Beatrice" file).

Beatrice Olmstead wrote to Merton after reading «The Seven Storey Mountain», and she and her family became for Merton like an adopted family.

Patricia W. Oliver (Patricia Welsh) was reference librarian at Bellarmine College and cataloged and maintained the Thomas Merton collection in the Library. Merton and Ms. Oliver developed a friendship over meetings in the library and correspondence relating to the collection.

Sr. Maria Blanca Olin was a Benedictine nun of the Monastery of St. Benedict (Monestir de Saint Benet) in Montserrat, Spain.